Ancient Unified Human Empire
"Once, we were great. Once, we were one. One banner, one nation, one far-reaching rule, even across the seas. It was taken from us, and we learned a valuable lesson: reach too far, and you risk losing your hand." ---King Leopold Bosworth III, the Evil Monarch The Ancient Unified Human Empire was the first human empire in the history of the world. Its true name, its rulers and many facts about its history are forever lost to time and other forces, resulting in much speculation and conflicting stories about them. Many scholars from various races have studied it, and enough information from various sources exists to piece together a rough timeline of the empire's rise and fall. Much of it is steeped in legend and common myth, but none can deny that the ancient empire was one of the strongest ever created by mortal hands. Origins and Early History The empire originated across the sea from the Old Continent. It is not known how much of that land was tamed, but what is known is that before coming across the sea, they mastered a great number of technologies that haven't been replicated since. Humans were not a race born with magic; study of it requires a great deal of effort. Since they hadn't discovered it, they turned instead to invention and clever thinking to solve their problems. They invented firearms and a servitor machine race of semi-sentient automata known as the Steamforged. The steamforged were used in both labor and warfare, and were produced in great factories. The secrets to creating them have been lost since, making the ancient human empire the only race to ever produce perfect steamforged units. What can be pieced together about their culture is not much. It is known they had only one ruler, who oversaw the entirety of the empire. They had a grand army and many ships which were used to aid them in the colonization of the Midlands. They are described as a militaristic and strong people, and many of the qualities that humans of the modern age exhibit can logically be applied to them, as the humans of today are all descended from them. Great generals led the armies, along with heroes and nobles, figures of myth whose names are all lost. What is known is that, for one reason or another, the empire decided to expand across the sea and spent a considerable amount of time preparing for it, as any effort to transport a massive army of both man and machine would require a great deal of preparation. Colonization The first humans to come to the Midlands were advance colonists, most likely expert mappers, trackers, hunters and traders. They explored the land, seeking out potential exploits and threats. They found a land mostly untouched by another empire, for the elves who once ruled it were now gone, having left for the Moon, leaving only their servant races, the brutish orcs and the hard-working dwarves behind, who were now fighting for superiority. These early settlers saw an opportunity to weaken both sides by supplying them both with advanced technology; firearms to the orcs and machinery to the dwarves. In doing so, they upped the scale of their warfare until both forces were nearly exhausted from fighting. At this time, the main armies of the empire arrived and they quickly swept across the land, making short work of anything in their way, including the orcs and the dwarves, who were left scattered and driven back into the Dune Sea and the Dwarven Underground, respectively. Once they finished their initial conquest and claimed their lands, the ancient empire began building towns and cities, along with more industrial forges and factories. Their expansion was quick and within a short time they had cemented their position as lords of their lands, with grand castles, towers and walls protecting their territory. It is not known for how long they lived in peace, but it is known when that peace ended. War Against the Elves At the height of the human empire's power, the elves returned, now under the rule of a dark empress. Striking out from their lunar home, they made war against the humans with their magical powers. The power they wielded hadn't been seen upon the world for generations, but the humans are more prepared to defend themselves than the elves initially assumed. In what they believed would be a brief conflict, the humans quickly organized a counterattack that left the elves reeling. In the time that followed, full-blown war broke out between the two species, with many battles that stretched across the entirety of the continent. It is not known how long the war lasted, but it is known it bridged generations of humans. It was elven magic against human technology, two powerful forces that proved fairly evenly matched. With the advent of the empire's greatest weapons, the Juggernauts, the humans had a distinct advantage on the battlefield. The Juggernauts were very effective against the elven forces, pummeling through their ranks. The Juggernauts proved too much for the elven armies, keeping them at bay and eventually forcing them to retreat back to the moon. Elven emissaries agreed to a truce, even going so far as to sign a peace treaty with the humans. This was a deception, however, to lull the humans into a false sense of security. By exploiting a loophole in the contract, the elves initiated a terribly powerful orbital bombardment, raining magic spells down upon the human empire that cracked cities in half and cut into the earth. Humans, not expecting the attack, were scattered and in disarray. The dark queen of the elves, the mastermind of this plot,had waited long enough. All of the elven armies moved on the human capital in a desperate battle that was undoubtedly titanic in nature. Elven victory seemed almost a certainty, until a lone, nameless soldier from the human army stepped forth. He wielded no firearm or spell, but only a magical blade that allowed him to cut through the elven army to reach her. She looked upon him and laughed, thinking to do him away with but a single spell, but he deflected her greatest attack and pierced her heart with the blade. In doing so, he ended her life and freed the elves, who began to retreat to the moon with the human armies on their heels. But the Dark Witch was not going to let anyone have the world she wanted to conquer, even in her death, declaring that all races would pay, even the elves for failing her. She unleashed the Cataclysm, the world-changing spell of entropy and death that finished off what was left of the great empire, bringing about its utter downfall. Fall The Cataclysm, the Great Black Fog, rolled over the entire world, rotting skin and flesh from bone, destroying cities and picking apart plants and animals, blackening the skies and poisoning the waters. It washed across the seas, blighting even the Old Continent, destroying whatever last remnants of the human empire remained there. Once done, the fog reached up into the skies and covered the moon as punishment for the failure of the elves. When this was done, the fog solidified into a massive, grand chain that linked the earth and the moon together, which remains to this day. Though the necrotic fog didn't kill nearly every single thing on the planet, the human empire was one of its casualties. No longer was there a single, unified empire for the humans. In the ten thousand years that have followed, humanity has formed new kingdoms and, in the instance of the Frostborn and Amazons, isolation from other humans resulted in the formation of completely different cultures and traditions. It is unlikely that anything as far-reaching and unified as the ancient human empire will ever be achieved again, at least not in the foreseeable future. Legacy The ancient humans left behind a legendary legacy. Their power over machine and man remains unrivaled to the current era, and many remnants of their time have been discovered. Historical relics are prized by collectors and museums, but undoubtedly the greatest of treasures lies in ancient factories and manufactorums where the steamforged were built. Modern humans and dwarves hunt for these places, hoping to uncover lost secrets and knowledge. The ancient empire lives on in myth and legend, remembered as one of the greatest empires that ever existed. Category:Lore Category:Ancient Unified Human Empire